I can’t decide if I am a “foodie.” According to Wikipedia, a foodie is: “A person who has an ardent or refined interest in food; a gourmet” I certainly have an ardent interest in food (that’s a good trait for a restaurant owner to have.) I would even go so far as to say I have a refined interest in food.

I know how well prepared food should taste. I enjoy the foods of many different cuisines and I have had dined on foods that make the heart skip a few beats when the check arrives. Gourmet — well my Southern manners wouldn’t allow me to attach such a word to my name. So by definition, I am apparently a foodie.

The reason I’m questioning my identity into this relatively new group is because I don’t buy into — or even like — many of the current food trends. I don’t like sushi — just can’t get past the cold rice, and I abhor spicy hot foods. If a food is going to cause me to grab for a glass of water as soon as it passes across my palate, then you can just keep it all for yourself.

But, my biggest pet peeve when it comes to new food fads is the totally inappropriate use of bacon. Bacon is a savory food item. It has no place whatsoever on the dessert menu. I don’t want bacon ice cream nor do I care to dine on a cupcake flavored with it.

Last year at a food conference, one of the guests at the table offered to get my dessert. She brought back an assortment of miniature cupcakes. One of the cupcakes was banana nut. I love bananas so it was obviously my first choice. I took a small bite anticipating the sweet nutty flavor of banana nut bread, but instead was greeted with a very strong smoky flavor! It was so bad that I had to restrain myself from the urge to rise to my feet and halt everyone from consuming another bite lest they put themselves in danger of food poisoning.

After a few polite questions, I learned that the cupcake was in fact a Banana-Bacon Nut Cupcake. Why would anyone do such a horrible thing to such wonderful flavors? Who, pray tell, came up with such a crazy idea? Bacon is for breakfast, salads and vegetables — not cupcakes!

To my great dismay, a little research confirmed that this ridiculous combination was in fact a whole new food craze. I found several websites selling bacon in many adulterated forms. If you care to, you can now purchase bacon peanut brittle, bacon peeps, bacon lollipops and bacon saltwater taffy, just to name a few. I also found many recipes for all kinds of cakes, pastries and candies that include the smoky flavor of bacon. How embarrassing for the culinary world! Someone was truly misguided or misinformed on how to use bacon.

So, if I must learn to eat bacon in my cake to be a foodie, then strip me of my badge and kick me out of the camp. I am a Southern woman and I know the magical powers of bacon and bacon fat in the kitchen — but you better keep it off my dessert plate.

I’m hoping that the new food craze comes along soon and that all this silliness concerning bacon will be just a bad memory. In the meantime, if you should find me standing alone obviously ousted from a group of hip and in-the-know diners, i.e. …foodies, please have pity and toss me a piece of fried bacon — sans the sugar.

I know some of you won’t be able to resist trying this awkward combination, so here’s a recipe. Try at your own risk and please don’t tell anyone where you got the recipe. I would be so embarrassed!

Teri Bell is co-owner of Miss Sophie’s Marketplace at the Mighty Eighth in Pooler. Go to sophiesmarketplace.com.

Banana, Bacon & Maple Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large bananas, diced

1/4 cup maple syrup

7 strips cooked bacon, diced

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a muffin tin or line with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and sugars, Add the butter and eggs and mix just long enough to combine stir in the bananas, vanilla extract and maple syrup. Fold in the diced bacon. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool completely. May be iced with buttercream or chocolate icing, if so desired.